Google has made a surprise announcement that Wear OS 5 is rolling out to Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2, as a part of the September 2024 software update. The new update based on Android 14 not only brings new features to the watches but also enhancements to the battery life of the devices.
Announced via a Google Support page, the company says that Pixel Watch 1 and Pixel Watch 2 devices running Wear OS 3.5 or Wear OS 4.0 will receive the September 2024 software update with the Wear OS 5 upgrade starting today. According to the post, the rollout will continue over the next week in phases depending on carrier and device. Users will receive a notification on their watch once the OTA becomes available.
The build numbers for the update are as follows:
- Google Pixel Watch 1: AW2A.240903.005.A2
- Google Pixel Watch 2: AW2A.240903.005.A1
The September 2024 software update includes an upgrade to Wear OS 5, including new features, numerous bug fixes, and performance updates for Pixel Watch users. Additionally, App updates via the Playstore will be available for Pixel Watch 1 and Pixel Watch 2 to obtain the grid-view app launcher, improved Camera controls and the Pixel Recorder functionality.
Wear OS 5 brings performance improvements over Wear OS 4. Tracking your workout is now more efficient; for example, running a marathon consumes up to 20% less power on Wear OS 5 than on Wear OS 4.
Aside from that, your fitness apps will be able to help improve your performance with the option to support more data types like ground contact time, stride length and vertical oscillation. The Watch Face Format introduced with Wear OS 4 has also received an update. It should now be easier to create watch face with this format for devlopers.
Google is also introducing adaptive layouts and components so that the UI is better suited for all types of watches with different sizes and shapes. While there aren’t any major new features introduced with Wear OS 5, under the hood enhancements are likely to bring a major boost to the battery life which is still something that is in dire need of improvement on Wear OS-powered smartwatches.